I would encourage all of my Christian friends to evaluate their relationship with coffee. Could you survive without coffee? Can you start your day without coffee? Would your daily interactions be significantly worse if you didn’t have coffee? Have you ever used the words “I need coffee”? Because you don’t.

There’s a difference between something that is enjoyable and something that you NEED to survive. There are basic physical needs that we have, there are spiritual needs, etc. But I submit that coffee meets none of these needs. It is one thing for someone to say, “I enjoy coffee.” It’s another thing entirely for someone to say “I need coffee.”

If you are a Christian, and you find yourself “needing” coffee, you may want to evaluate your relationship with coffee. Are you addicted? Is coffee an idol for you?

I will give a personal example here. In 2005 I moved to the Indianapolis area. I rapidly became a Colts fan. In December of 2005 I went to my first Colts game, and I was hooked. Being surrounded by 60,000 screaming fans focused on the actions of these 22 men on the field is an amazing feeling. It’s much different than watching the game on television. Over the course of the next year I slowly became addicted to the Indianapolis Colts. I knew every player. I knew their positions, their game stats, the teams they were playing, etc. I watched every game. I bought several jerseys (some for about $80 each). I went to several games, and bought a season ticket for the 2007 season. I went to almost every game, unless I had to work.

Our church gets out about 11:30 on Sunday mornings. The Sunday afternoon games start at 1pm, which gave me just enough time to drive the 45 minutes to the stadium, park, and walk in, getting to my seat just before kickoff. I remember being upset one Sunday because the songleader of our church wanted to have a “short practice” after the service, and it lasted about 20 minutes. I was actually angry as I drove to the stadium, because I knew that I was now going to miss kickoff. Shortly thereafter I finally realized that I was addicted to the Indianapolis Colts. They had become more important to me than other things that should have been more important, and therefore, they were an idol.

And so I gave up my idol. I canceled my season tickets. I stopped obsessing about the Colts. I’m still a Colts fan. I still watch games, but it’s not the end of the world if I miss one. Today I could probably only name four or five players on the team. I only go to about one game every few years. I don’t own the jersey of any active Colts player. I have effectively downgraded the Colts from an addiction to something I enjoy from time to time.

Some of my Facebook friends post frequently about how much they love coffee. A few post incessantly. Now I’m not saying these people are addicted. But they do seem obsessed. And so, to those of you who think you can’t live without coffee, I would encourage you to take a good look at the coffee bean and ask yourself: is coffee more important to you than anything else? Could you go a day without coffee? Could you go a week? A month? If your answer is “I’m not sure,” you might want to take a good, long look at your priorities.

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About Steve Picray

I have been many things, but right now I am a registered nurse attempting to pay off my debt so that, God willing, I can be a pastor again someday. I have a wife and three kids. I am a conservative Christian (of the Baptist variety). This blog is about me: the things that happen to me, the things that interest me, and the things that bother me. If you have a question, just e-mail me at spicray AT gmail DOT com. God Bless!